Most holiday traditions include spending time with family, eating turkey and braving the Canadian winter by enjoying the outdoors.
But some Red Deer residents who showed up at Bower Ponds couldn’t do so Tuesday.
Red Deerian Nancy McInerney said the cold weather didn’t stop her from eating way too much this holiday, and she wanted to be outside.
“(We) sat around too much, and now we need some fresh air,” she said.
Going skating is a norm for her and her family on Boxing Day except she couldn’t skate because Bower Ponds skating rink had not been cleared off.
But that didn’t stop her brother, who was visiting from Calgary, from skating.
John McInerney who is a fan of the cold weather was skating.
“It’s perfect, the ice should be better plowed but it’s still OK,” he said.
Nancy, on the other hand, changed her mind and went walking instead.
Efforts to reach the City of Red Deer for a comment were unsuccessful.
Nancy’s husband, Lowell Peterman, came down to skate as well, but couldn’t.
“The city didn’t plow the ice off very good,” he said. “I don’t mind the (cold weather), but I’d like it to be warmer.”
Environment Canada issued an extreme cold weather warning Monday with temperatures plummeting to -30 C with a windchill.
On Tuesday, Central Albertans also headed to Bower Ponds in hopes to cure cabin fever, as one Lacombe mom put it.
Trudy Allen, along with her two grown up kids, drove to Red Deer to skate – something the family does every year.
She said the cold weather hasn’t wrecked any of their holiday plans. She is happy her kids are home for the holidays, and the family is able to enjoy the slow pace of life, and take time off work and school.
“This is the most we would do,” she said, referring to skating. “We needed to get out before we start to get on the cranky side.”
Had it not been as cold, the family would’ve enjoyed a longer day outside.
“This will be a shorter day outside, if it was warmer – we could’ve gone for a walk or hike somewhere else,” said Kyle Allen, who is home for the holidays, from Ottawa.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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